The Super Bowl: A Win for Swifties
Super Bowl LVIII had a whole new demographic of viewers this year. Chiefs and 49ers fans geared up to cheer on their respective teams, but as the Chiefs made their way to their overtime victory, they had another fan base behind them. The Swifties. Taylor Swift’s hardcore fan base recently joined in on the tailgate parties and jersey wearing most veteran NFL fans know and love. So while the Chiefs had an amazing season, much of their publicity has been focused on team member Travis Kelce’s new pop star girlfriend. Many NFL fans have had contrasting opinions on Taylor Swift’s presence at the Chiefs’ games, but, what is the actual impact of Swift’s new relationship and screen time?
Viewers have found that Swift is only shown on screen for around 46 seconds per game and was only shown for 55 seconds of the four hour and 18 minute long Super Bowl event. Though, NFL fans have expressed annoyance with her presence “taking over the game”. These fans may be frustrated, but the truth is Taylor Swift has brought a whole new group of viewers to NFL games, bringing in more profit for everyone. Apex Marketing Group found that Swift’s new found association with the Chiefs and the NFL has added around $330 million in brand value, and the NFL had its highest viewership among women since it began tracking in 2000. Nora Princiotti, a staff writer for The Ringer and a Taylor Swift fan said, “I think what it means for the NFL is a real presence of this kind of hyper-femininity that’s really rare in such a, you know, normally macho, masculine environment.” While there is now a spike in Female viewership, and girls inspired to watch the NFL, what does this mean in the grand scheme of things?
Swift’s attendance at the Chiefs’ games this season has led to increased revenue, viewership, and social media following for the team and the league as a whole. So why do so many male NFL fans dislike her presence so much? My simple answer would be misogyny, many men don’t want a successful woman–and her primarily non-male fanbase–coming into a space that they have dominated in the past; but there is much more to this than women watching football.
During the 2020 election Taylor Swift openly endorsed Joe Biden by posting a picture of homemade “Biden Harris 2020” cookies. While Swift was still incredibly famous in 2020, it is clear that her impact and fan base has only grown since then. Last fall Swift encouraged her followers to go vote, which was immediately followed by a surge in voter registration. The majority of Taylor Swift’s fans are Gen Z and Millenials, and young voters typically have the lowest turnouts in the box office. Many of her fans will simply participate or learn about something just because she mentioned it, and voting is no exception.
Because of this, members of the Republican party worry Swift’s endorsement of Biden and encouragement for fans’ to vote in the 2024 election could alter the results, and they’re probably right. Many even claim Swift is some kind of Pentagon plant that Democrats are using to sway the 2024 election. While their theories are far out, I do think it’s fair to be in fear of her impact. After watching how Swifties jumped to support the Chiefs and began watching football just by seeing Taylor at a few games, what else would they do because of her? Apart from voting, she could encourage fans to even become more aware of politics and global issues as a whole. Her impact is not something to be undersold.
Her voice in not only the election but in other global crises could quite literally change the tides. Many Swifties have encouraged Taylor to speak up on issues such as the Israel-Palestine conflict in hopes she could help the call for a ceasefire; but with silence thus far it’s hard to know if all she will be encouraging her fans to do this year is attend “The Eras Tour”. She is often criticized by activists for her failure to use her platform and her excessive use of her private jet, using an estimated 8,300 tons of carbon emissions in 2022 alone, which is around 1,800 times that of the average person. On the other hand she is criticized by members of the Republican party for using her voice, as those who don’t agree with her opinions would much rather her just stick to writing music. At this point, it is a gamble whether or not Taylor will speak about the election, or any other global issues, but if she does, it is sure to be momentous.
Taylor Swift speaking up about the 2024 presidential election and endorsing Joe Biden once again could save this country from another term with Donald Trump, and many Trump supporting NFL fans fear that reality. Swift’s association with the NFL has only made people aware of her true power as a global icon. This election season Swifties won’t only be on the edge of their seats waiting for what Swift’s next “surprise song” will be, but also her thoughts on the 2024 Presidential election. Will Taylor use her platform to share her opinions? And can her vote for Biden win him the election?
Photo Courtesy of Getty Images
